Best Steakhouse

Metropolitan Grill

The Metropolitan Grill's grasp of the steakhouse genre is so complete that I avoided it for months, guessing from the menu and decor that it was an outpost of a national chain I didn't know. It seemed unlikely that a restaurant without a massive R&D department would nail French onion soup, Caesar salad, creamed spinach, and a dry-aged prime long-bone rib-eye—let alone think to serve it. But the Met is indeed homegrown, as is its considerable wine talent: Sommelier Thomas Price was recently named a master sommelier, meaning he's one of the top 160 wine professionals in the world. HANNA RASKIN 820 Second Ave., 624-3287, themetropolitangrill.com